“This bill reflects the positive steps that over one-third of Massachusetts communities have already taken to boost public health, prevent tobacco addiction and save lives,” said Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I’m proud that the Senate took a major step forward today to protect our young people from the dangers of tobacco, keep these products away from schools and health institutions and significantly reduce smoking across the Commonwealth.”

Tobacco and nicotine use remains the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Massachusetts, requiring the Commonwealth and our residents to spend more than $4 billion in healthcare related costs each year. Smoking practices begin at a young age; a 2015 report from the Institute of Medicine found that 9 out of 10 daily smokers first tried a cigarette before age 19. This omnibus tobacco bill was created to prevent teenagers from starting to smoke by removing sources of tobacco and nicotine delivery products from their reach.

The Commonwealth has collectively made progress in reducing rates of youth smoking; according to the Center for Disease Control, cigarette smoking among high school students in Massachusetts has declined from 21% in 2005 to 11% in 2013. However, the tobacco industry is changing and innovating, introducing new products and marketing strategies directed to appeal to youth. As a result, the Commonwealth now faces growing use by young people of other nicotine delivery products such as e-cigarettes; according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, use of e-cigarettes among high school students has risen alarmingly from 2% in 2011 to 13% in 2014.

Worcester pediatrician Lynda Young, M.D., Chair of Tobacco Free Mass, said “We applaud moving this critically important bill forward. Enactment of this bill will be a giant step forward for public health, as it will have an immediate, positive impact on the well-being of our young people. We urge its quick passage by the legislature.”

This bill also:

Responsibly regulates nicotine delivery products such as e-cigarettes by prohibiting their use at schools, including vocational schools and technical institutes, and in any workplace;

Requires child-resistant packaging for e-cigarettes;

Prohibits tobacco vending machines;

Prohibits the sale of all tobacco and nicotine delivery products in pharmacies and other healthcare institutions;

Grants the Department of Public Health the authority to regulate new, emerging tobacco and nicotine delivery products; and,

Requires the Center for Health Information and Analysis to study the current tobacco cessation benefits offered by commercial insurers, MassHealth and the Government Insurance Commission to determine how these benefit levels compare to CDC guidelines and best practices.

These provisions were adopted into the omnibus legislation from eight specific tobacco-related bills that were heard by the Joint Committee on Public Health. The legislation will now move to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration.